cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

what does cognitive approach focus on?

Answer 1

● how thinking shapes our behaviour

● depression is seen as being caused by negative and irrational thought processes

Question 2

what is aaron beck’s cognitive theory of depression?

Answer 2

● believed that some people are more vulnerable than others to develop depression

● due to the way a person thinks (their cognitions)

● known as cognitive vulnerability

Question 3

what are the 3 parts of cognitive vulnerability?

Answer 3

● negative schemas

● faulty thought processing

● negative triad

Question 4

what are negative schemas?

Answer 4

● people who are depressed - developed negative self-schemas

● interpret information about themselves in a negative way

● often develop during childhood - may come from negative experiences

Question 5

what are the types of faulty thought process?

Answer 5

● overgeneralisation

● catastrophic thinking

● absolutist thinking

Question 6

what is overgeneralisation?

Answer 6

conclusions drawn from a single (usually bad) event are linked to all future occurrences

Question 7

what is catastrophic thinking?

Answer 7

thinking worst case scenario and blowing small problems out of proportion

Question 8

what is absolutist thinking?

Answer 8

black or white thinking and ignoring middle ground; you are a success or failure, rather than not good at somethings but ok at others

Question 9

what is the negative triad?

Answer 9

● negative views about the world (everyone is against me)

● negative views about oneself (im worthless and inadequate)

● negative views about the future (ill never be good at anything)

Question 10

what is ellis’ ABC model?

Answer 10

● albert ellis also focuses on irrational beliefs as source of depression - therefore, not what happens to someone that cause depressions but they deal with it

● A = activating event: according to ellis, depression occurs when we experience negative events

● B = belief: negative event can trigger irrational beliefs e.g. absolutist thinking and overgeneralisation

● C = consequence: when an activating event triggers beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences e.g. depression

Question 11

evaluation

Answer 11

● strength:
p: supporting research (particularly becks)
e: researchers concluded cognitive vulnerabilities more common in people with depression - and they preceded depression - confirmed by more recent study - also found cog vulnerability predicted later depression
c: link between cog vulnerability and depression - treatments of depression

p: real world application - psychological treatment of depression
e: understanding cog vulnerability applied on cbt (based on beck’s model) to alter cognitions underlying depression
making a person more resilient to life events
rebt (based on ellis’s model) can both change negative beliefs and relief symptoms of depression
c: therefore, both cognitive explanations have real world value - give individual skill to cope even after therapy is completed

● limitations:
p: partial explanation - could be considered reductionist
e: explanation only considers how thought processes lead to depression - ignores how biological factors can also play a role e.g. low serotonin
c: limitation as suggests cog model can only explain some models of depression - therefore, partial explanation
implications in terms of individual receiving wrong treatment

p: controversial - locates responsibility for depression purely with the person with depression
e: abc model suggests not what happens to someone that causes depression but how they deal with it
critics see this as blaming depressed person for their faulty thought processes
c: limitation as explanation can be considered unethical - place blame on people experiencing poor mental health